Internal-combustion engine



Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,790

I H. L. HORNING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 28, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J72? Java/Z2567: arr .Zlfiimbiif.

Nov. 16,1926. 1,606,790

H. L. HORNING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 28, 1924 I5 Sheets Sheet 2 i 1 1 i l l K Nov. 16 1926. 1,606,790

H. L. HORNING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Filed Feb. 28, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheets W i I T OFFICE.

Patented Nov. l6, 13.925.

uuireo STATES tion;

I. T i

HARRY LEVAN I-IOBNING, WA'UKESHA, .WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO 'WAUK'ESHA MOTOR 30., 033 WAUIESHA, 'WISCONSIH, A CGEPORATION OF WISCONSIN.

INTERNADGQEBUSTION ENGINE.

Application filed February 28, 1924. Serial No. 695,647.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines.

The typical L-head internal combustion engine at present has the cylinders cast integral with the engine body, and this body terminates at the level of the crank shaft bearings. It has heretofore been imprac ticablc to use removable sleeve cylinders, because of the practical impossibility of maintaining a water-tight seal between the cylinder and the body casting in that portion of the cylinder where the upper edge was not in direct contact with the head. I find that with a head in which the combustion chamber is narrowed in the portion where it extends over the cylinder and piston, the free portion of the cylinder is sufiiciently out down so that it becomes possible to use the removable sleeve cylinder and secure satisfactory scaling against the leakage of 7 of head 24:. In assembling this part of the water.

The rigidity of the body casting itself can be greatly increased by extending the sides thereof down a few inches below the level of the crank shaft bearings. This feature has heretofore been impracticable, because of the increase in the cost ofthe body casting, the life of which was definitely limited because the cylinders were integral therewith. The use of sleeve cylinders relieves the body casting of the responsibility for any of the primary wearing surfaces, and makes it substantially a structural frame only. This limitation of the functions performed by the body casting makes it possible for it, to perform those functions in a much better way, and prolongs its life to such an extent hat itsinr provernent as a structural frame does not represent a prohibitive expense. I

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a artial longitudinal central section of an internal combustion engine constructed according to the present inven- Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the sealing means for the cylinders;

is a fragmentary of the engine head; and

Fig. 5 1s a central transverse section of the body casting and oil pan.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration the body casting is provided with a. top web 12 having a plubottom plan view ness. It will be apparent rality of openings to receive the cylinders 14. The rim around each opening comprises a downwardly extending cylindrical portion 16 and a bottom lip 18. Cylinder 14 has an. annular fiange, or shoulder, 20 having uiding contact with portion 16 and overlying lip 18 for support.

Upon reference to Fig. 4 it will be observed that the combustion chamber 22 formed in head 24 is greatly narrowed at oints 26 where it extends out over the cyl-v 111(181 and piston. In addition to the thermodynamic advantages obtained by this narrowing, the portion of shoulder 20 not clamped downby the cylinder head is materially reduced.

Referring now to Fig. 3, I provide a lower gasket 28 lying between lip 18 and shoulder 20 and the usual upper gasket 30 out to the pattern of the entire lower contact surface engine, gaskets 28 are employed of such thiclrness that before the head 24 is bolted I The relative contact acreas between shoul der and the upper and lower gaskets, and the relative compressibility of the gaskets must be so designed that the compression of gasket 28 incident to putting this same load on shoulder 20 will let the sleeve 14; move down to have an upper surface substantially flush with the upper surface of the body casting 10.

With this end in view, washers 28 are selected with great care both as to precise outer and inner diameter, and exact thickthat if the result above set forth is perfectly obtained, the sealing load on gasket will be uniform throughout its entire extent, inasmuch as its distortion by compression is the same between head and sleeve as between head and body. Furthermore, the compression load on shoulder 20 must be carried on gasket 28. In the gap between point 26, the rigidity of shoulder 20 must be sufficient to seal gasket 28 against the leakage of water past the same.

In one successful design accordin to the invention the average projection o flange above the level of the body casting 10 before the gaskets are compressed is substantially eleven thousandths of an inch. It will be a parent-that slight departures from this uni ormity in the distribution of the load. on gasket may readily be tolerated so long as the load on gasket 30 adjacent all the water holes is suflicient to provide a good seal, and the minimum load on gasket 28 in the middle of the gap between points 26 is not less than that necessary to provide a sat-,

' isfactory water seal.

The lower ends of cylinders 14 are guided in guides 32 grooved to hold a sealingl gasket 34. The lower end of the cylin er is slightly tapered at 36. In the particular seal for the lower end I have disclosed here 1 The lower shelf 48'is now in, gasket 34 is of rubber, and slightly too large to fit the groove. It is gouged tight in forcing the taper 36 past it, and subse quently vulcanized by the heat of the water in the cooling space 38, whereby a very satisfactory seal is provided.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2 and 5, the center bearing 40 for the crank shaft 42 is carried by a transverse web 44, and the sides of the body casting 10 extend down materially below the same as shown at 46. Bearing in mind that the main loads tending to distort the body cast- .ing are vertical, and that the strength of a beam of given dimensions under vertical load, is proportional to the square of its vertical dimension, while the rigidity of the l same beam is proportional to the cube of the vertical dimension, it' will be seen that this -downward continuation of the side walls of the engine casting results in an increase in the strength and rigidity for a given weight outof all proportion to the downward extension employed.

demoted into an oil pan pure-and simple with no pretension to being called a crank case, as on reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the center of the crank pin never goes below the level of the bottom plane of the body casting.

Thus the lateral centrifugal forces due to the weight of the crank pins and parts hearing thereon, which forces tend to bow the crank shaft in a horizontal. plane first to the right and then to the left, are resisted by metal lying sutliciently below the crank shaft hearings to effectively surround the same. i

It will be apparent that in overhauling a worn engine of the type shown, instead of an expensive regrind for the cylinder bores,

and new pistons sent from the factory and fitted in the fieldto give the best clearances possible,-both cylinders and pistons can be shipped back to the v-factory,--and replaced use under various conditions of service without eliminating certain features which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims: 7 i

I claim:

1. In an L -head internal combustion englue, n combination, a body casting having a cylinder bore, a sleeve cylinder in said bore, and a head overlying said cylinder and body and holding said cylinder in place, said head being shaped to define a combustion chamber, the portion of said chamber extending over the cylinder being of materially less width than the internal diameter of said c linder, whereby a relatively short portion of the upper edge of said cylinder is deprived o the-clamping action of said head.

, :2. In an L- head internal combustion engme, n combination, a body casting having a cylinder bore, a sleeve cylinder in said bore, and a head overlying said cylinder and body-and holding said cylinder in place, said head being shaped to define a combustion chamber, the portion of said chamber extending over the cylinder being of materially less width than the internal diameter of said cylinder, whereby a relatively short portion of the upper edge of said cylinder is deprived of the clamping action of said head, the sides of said body extendin down below the level of the crank shaft earings, a I 3. In combination, a body castin having a cylinder bore therein, a sleeve cy inder in in the portion over the piston to increase the portion of the sleeve receiving the direct? clamping thrust of the head. 1 In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 22nd day of February, 1924.

' HARRY LEVAN HGRNING, 

